captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> live, and in hd, this is abc 7 "news at noon," on your side. we knew instantly in our

hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming ton end. and now we stand here home and free. >> they were imprisoned in north korea for 140 days. secret negotiations went on for nearly that long to get to this point. the terrible happy homecoming for these two journalists. good afternoon, everyone. i and alison starling. laura ling and euna lee told their families weeks ago that the north koreans said that of bill clinton came to get them, they would be freed. >> 140 days in captivity and i is over with a tearful reunion on the tarmac of the burbank airport. >> now we stand here, home and

free. >> laura lee and euna -- laura lee -- laura ling and euna lee were arrested for trespassing over the north korean border. >> this has been the most heart wrenching time of our lives. we are very grateful that we were granted aesty. >> they were working for former vice president al gore's tv network, current tv. he reached out to the north koreans first but it was former president bill clinton who closed the deal. north korea wanted a visit by high-profile american official, one that gave the nation these pictures of the former president with a grinning kim jong-il. the white house insists that bill clinton did not represent the administration but adds that clinton may have delivered his own personal opinions about the north korean nuclear weapons program. president obama only would say

he was pleased. >> we are obviously extraordinarily relieved. >> critics say the negotiations could set a dangerous precedent. >> this is a classic case of rewarding bad behavior. the seizure of these americans -- all of us want to get them out but we wanted done in a way that does not increase the risk in the future for other americans. >> what does this mean for the hitchhikers off course and captured and now being held in iran. ? we turn to pennsylvania. police said a man who opened fire inside a gymn planeeee planning thisri c fmerouthonss and he expressed anger towar n.wo policeaywo s he managed to mthue e rewomen before killing himself with an assault that began with turning off the lights and opening fire. >> witnesses say it sounded like

people playing racquetball. >> i kept hearing poem. > what they kept hearing was gunshots. >> people were bleeding and hit the door. the lady was shot and a leg and a lady was shot in the shoulder. >> it was about 8:00 tuesday night en the 48-year-old entered an aerobics class at l.a. fitness in bridgeville, pennsylvania. there were about 30 women in sight. he turned out the lights and opened fire. >> i could see flashes in the dark. as when i realized that someone was actually using a firearm. >> four people are dead, including the gunman. 10 are wounded and three a viit the victims were women. the robust instrucr towh waso r pregnant was also wounded. he plotted the attack a long ti a he wrote that he planned to do this in the summer but stuck around to see the election outcome. his of his third entry include a date of death. he rode," last time i tried

this, i chickened out." he complained about not having a girlfriend. >> they told everybody to get on the ground. everybody is scrambling over each other to get out. >> police said bullet casings indicate that he walked around the room firing indiscriminately. early evidence suggests he used one hand and it should the victims and another handgun to shoot himself. he was a member at l.a. fitness and growth that workouts at the gym helped with his unhappiness. u.s. park police are trying to figure out why a man tried to cross the baltimore-washington parkway. he was struck and killed by a car last night. this was out of maryland at route 450 in landover hills. the driver stayed on the scene. they are not sure why he was walking. a memorial service will be

held tonight for the four people killed in a helicopter crash near hagerstown. we're now hearing the frantic 911 calls from the deadly night. >> it looks like a helicopter or plane crash on the interstate. >> a helicter or plane? >> it just came out of the sky and dropped down to the interstate. >> other callers told dispatchers that the helicopter fell fast and without warning. it was storming when the four victims left a charity fundraiser to return to the frederick airport. that chopper struck a guide wire before crashing down on i-70 and catching fire. a new report released later today will talk about how d.c. is fighting its startling hiv aids rate. we're getting a preview at rates the district's plans to test more students for s t d's and to test and citywide.

>> the aids rate in d.c. still the highest in the country. according to a new report card release today, the city is doing more to tackle the epidemic compared to years past. >> they had signs posted. they are giving out condoms and stuff like that to try to help the people. >> d.c. got its highest marks for hiv testing and surveillance. free condom distribution got a good grade boost this year to be +. the city has distributed more than 1.5 million condoms. this barber shop in southeast has contributed to that effort. >> i think we have had it for about three weeks now. it is going pretty good. >> activists are plotted school officials for expanding a pilot program next year that would offer a selectors and ftd stepping out -- an s t d testing at schools. >> the kids will be less inclined to do these things.

i think it is a good idea. >> accordi is not happening soon enough. the numbers prove it. one in 10 students are infected with an s td. only five out of 20 charter schools offers curricum. >> they need to know more about hiv. it is getting bad out here. it is not getting better. >> aids activists say the city has made progress but because the epidemic is so severe, the city has a long way to go until the numbers go down. we turn now to some breaking news from fairfax county. seven students have been hurt in a school bus accident. school officials are telling us these injuries are minor. the students are between the ages of 5 and 7 and are being treated right now at hospital. there bus collided with an suv. this was on 123 at courthouse

road in vienna. it happened at about 10:30 this morning a spokesperson said that fairfax city recreation department had rented the bus. this was for a field trip for students from daniel's run elementary. their injuries are said to be minor. they are in the of this afternoon. is the playground going to go smoke-free? that is being considered in one montgomery county community. the rockville park and recreational advisory board wants to place a smoking ban on playgrounds in city parks. ma parents like the idea. the rock bill mayor supports the ban. >> there is no downside to keeping smoking away from children on the playground. i do not see how this will not go forward. >> i don't think these kids should breathe secondhand smoke. it is not healthy for them. >> it is not necessarily an open

air space. >> rockville wants to get input from residents. >> the metro general manager is pleading for more dedicated funding from congress. without the money, john catoe said that safety will decline. metro says it needs more than $7 billion over the next 10 years in order to keep things going. the house has approved it and the senate is considering $1.5 billion over 10 years. that money would be matched by d.c., maryland, and virginia. this could be the last year seven fairfax county elementary schools could go year round. the county school board had to trimts budget this year by $150 million and faces a budget deficit of at least that amount next year. by returning the schools to a traditional school calendar, the school system would save $2.5 million. let's talk about the weather. the skies could open up a bit

today. we might actually see some severe weather. adam caskey joins us now. >> there is a slight chance of seeing a few severe thunderstorms, mainly south of the metro area. these will be run-of-the-ml thunderstorms very fast moving. t'l's look at thileshi -- let's soe esof they are in and arond luray, north of harrisonburg. that action will continue to push to the north and east. it is the triggering mechanism that we're watching. the temperatures are mainly in the low to mid-80's. we will have increasing clouds through out the afternoon. scattered storms this evening and possibly into tonight.

that is it for now and we will of the full forecast later. it record number of people are asking for energy assistance in montgomery county. the office of home energy programs says that 3100 people sought aid in june and june. the requests started rising in april when the state moratorium on utility cutoffs ended. the county grants $8.7 million in energy assistance. 317-year-old are charged with setting fire to the artificial turf football school at middletown's football field. the saturday morning fire caused $20,000 in damage. still to come, we now know the shopping reason why a mother

drove the wrong way down a new york highway, killing eight people. do you recognize this person? police said the suspect

new york police say the mother because they had on a collision that killed eight people, including her daughter and three nieces, was drunk and high. police say the her blood alcohol levels almost two and a half times the legal limit. that is the equivalent of 10 drinks. they also say she had a high level of the active ingredient in marijuana in her blood.

this news devastated mike bastardi whose children was in the car. >> i am in disbelief now. how could someone jump in the car, put five kids in the car, and drin >> 30 minutes before the accident, she called her brother complaining that she was disoriented. before she went the wrong direction on a highway, witnesses say she was weaving in and out of traffic and honking the horn. a maryland circuit court judge has sentenced shawn henderson to life for the murder of lindsey party. he robbed and shot her outside her gaithersburg apartment in april, 2008. at the time, he was on probation for three counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon and carrying a weapon openly with the intent to injure. montgomery county police are

on the search for a high-end shoplifter. police said a suspect, this one here, possibly a man dressed as a woman, they are not sure, still a $2,000 chanel address from the saks fifth avenue in chevy chase. one security guard intervened, the suspect sprayed him with pepper spray and ran off. if you recognize this person, you are asked to call police. president barack obama visits the midwest todayo tout the benefits of his stimulus plan. he will be in what used to be the rv capital of the world, elkhart, indiana. unemployment tre spite to the highest in the nation, nearly 19%. rv sales collapsed. he will use that as a backdrop to defend house stimulus money is helping end the recession and save jobs. >> thousands are fleeing their homes in kentucky where rainfall is flooding homes and watching

out the electricity. torrential downpours dumped up to 6 inches of rain in one hour. the waters were so fast that roadways became rivers in only minutes. some people abandoned their cars to seek shelter when the storms hit. in some parts of louisville, national guard members went from house to house by boat to evacuate residents >> that was a massive thunderstorm. that was a big one, from morning to the afternoon. that is tough luck for them. they have the ice storms in the winter. now they are getting pummeled. >> they need a good year. what about here? it sounds like we might get severe weather this afternoon? >> the best chance would beut llcay,lolly, its engardar vgaiey rain. it won't hurt to have more in some spots. let's start with the time lapse ng up overop pipng up over erick. th6:t a13.m..

a6:13 a.mt .. gnuin to ctiongnuin to from the southwest. a disth femroheusms th femrom e igger mouldor trigger m now. 83 degrees in berwyn heights. the dew points arnett that oppressive right now. -- are not that oppressive right now. let's look at the wider view. let's take a look at this light to moderate rain that is moving through kentucky and west virginia. there are a few sprinkles software soft -- south and west and have dissipated in the shenandoah valley. it is not just a batch of showers that i'm watching. it is really the triggering

mechanism associated with them. it is what is causing brain that i am keeping an eye on. there is an upper level energy that will continue to push eastward. that could help trigger our showers and thunderstorms later today. we have had the sunshine this morning through the midday. that is destabilizing our atmosphere. then we will have something to trigger the storms and it looks like the energy will likely be the culprit later today. in the evening hours through the night and possibly into the early morning hours tomorrow, that will happen. you will see another feature and that is a cold front. 69 degrees in pittsburgh. behind the front, it is only near 70 degrees. ahead of it, we are well into the 80's. that will continue to drift our way. by tomorrow, it will move to the midday hours, dropping our humidity levels and possibly dropping temperatures. by the weekend, we will see that

heat spreading eastward. he is building in the midsection of the country. by sunday and monday, we're probably talking well into the 90's, possibly the hottest so far this year by the weekend. geico's been saving people money on car insurance for over 70 years. and who doesn't want value for their dollar? been true since the day i made my first dollar. where is that dollar? i got it out to show you... uhh... was it rather old and wrinkly? yeah, you saw it? umm fancy a crisp? geico. fifteeninutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.

for bacteria to grow on your dentures? you are if you use toothpaste instead of soaking them in polident. toothpaste is abrasive on dentures look, scratches where bacteria can collect and grow and bacteria can cause bad breath that's why i recommend replacing toothpaste with polident. only polident is proven to clean without scratching and kills 99.9% of odor causing bacteria don't scrah your dentures clean use polident every day

national night out an all hands on deck last night were not violence-free and the district. two women and a 17-year-old boy were shot in the 1300 block of savannah place, s.e.. there were shot in the leg. there is no word on a suspect or motive. the historical society of washington has repaid $37,000 in

taxpayer money used for a reception for mayor adrian fenty's fraternity. the d.c. attorney general called this grant inappropriate. the washington post reports that he attended the reception earlier this week and was on stage as the fraternity members thank them for paying for the event. rockville city police department says the eed ama program is keeping you say. the review shows the average speeds of up vehicles dropped by 12%. the number of tickets plummeted 86% for the number of crashes fell by 35%. critics say speed camera or more

the american idol judge announced that she is calling it quits. the skeptics say is a contract negotiation but paula abdul turned down an eight figure deal that included a 30% raise. season 9 additions are about to start and producers say they are saddened by her deision. >> o the drama. >> she is always a nice to everybody. that will be missing. >> in the weather, a cool front will slowly pushed through. temperatures tomorrow will be lower 80's. made 80's on friday.

behind the front, you will feel improvements. it will not be estimate tomorrow and friday. we will probably start tomorrow with some showers.